The first season of the Showtime thriller premiered in the UK in February, four months after the show's US debut.

However, season two will air much closer to US transmission. Though a UK return date has not been confirmed by Channel 4, the series will return to Showtime on September 30.

Channel 4 first confirmed that it had acquired the rights to season two of Homeland - which stars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis - earlier this month.

Mandy Patinkin (Saul) has previously hinted that the new season has "endless possibilities".

"We could still end up in the CIA this year," he admitted. "[But] if the political situation continues for Brody (Lewis), eventually we might all end up morphing ourselves into Congress or the White House or something else."

The first season of Homeland concluded on Sunday, May 6, on Channel 4.